Violence Prevention

We are all familiar with the grim statistics on abuse and the vulnerability of women with disabilities. These women have an increased risk of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and/or neglect.

However, the number of violence prevention resources available to support women is steadily growing, and more and more of these are accessible to women with disabilities. Many organizations are housed in wheelchair-accessible facilities, or are reachable by TTY. Many organizations provide sign language interpretation along with other languages. Many provide their materials in alternate format, or make assistive devices available to visitors. Most importantly, many more organizations are gaining experience in serving women with disabilities.

The Violence Prevention Resource Guide for Women with Disabilities, produced by the Canadian Abilities Foundation, lists resources that exist for women, and indicates how they rate in terms of accessibility. This coil-bound publication has recently been distributed to organizations that might serve women with disabilities, in the hopes that the information will be circulated among staff and shared with clients or consumers.

This resource, which was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation, is also available on the Internet (www.enablelink.org).

Whether you are a woman with a disability looking for accessible supports and services, or a professional wishing to assist women with disabilities, we encourage you to make the most of this resource.

Our Internet version of the Violence Prevention Resource Guide for Women with Disabilities is always growing. If you know of information to be added to this resource, please let us know. Contact the Canadian Abilities Foundation, fax: (416) 923-9829; or e-mail: able@abilities.ca.